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Papua New Guinea · New Ireland

M5.5 Earthquake near New Ireland (Papua New Guinea)

UTC time: 2026-09-05 14:12:08 UTC Local time: —
Earthquake newsQuakeMap24
Archive record · original publication time was not recorded

Automatically generated from measurement data by QuakeMap24. Values may change after further analysis.

Map

M5.5 Earthquake near New Ireland (Papua New Guinea) · 2026-09-05 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.5 Earthquake near New Ireland (Papua New Guinea) · 2026-09-05 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.5 earthquake was recorded near New Ireland (Papua New Guinea) on September 5, 2026 at 14:12 UTC. The earthquake originated at an intermediate depth of about 114 km. Earthquakes of this magnitude can damage poorly built structures.

The data is provided by USGS and cross-checked across seismological networks.

Details

ID
de1e0cc236447417c6b236e28081d908b49dd2cb
Magnitude
M5.5
Depth
114.4 km
UTC time
2026-09-05 14:12:08 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Papua New Guinea
State
New Ireland
City
New Ireland
Source
usgs
Coordinates
-4.54690, 153.67660
Temperature
26.8°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 114.4 km (Intermediate) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 114.4 km
Intermediate
114.4 km
114.4 km — deeper than the regional average (80.5 km)
Regional average: 80.5 km
Why depth matters

Intermediate-depth quakes are felt across a wider area but usually cause less surface damage.

Depth classes per USGS

Estimated impact

Green No or minimal impact expected.
Estimated population exposed
IV 23'763
1 Felt reports · max reported intensity 3.1

Ground shaking

IV
Light · Intensity (MMI) IV
Felt by many, no damage.

Tectonic context

Located on the North Bismarck Plate.
Near the boundary North Bismarck ↔ South Bismarck · about 73 km away

Nearby population centers

Distances are straight-line distances from the epicenter. Population data: GeoNames.

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Kokopo157.7 kmW26'273
Port Moresby904.9 kmSW283'733

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Rabaul
    Distance: 168 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 688 m ·Last eruption: 2014 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Tavui
    Distance: 169 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 200 m ·Last eruption: -4946 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Balbi
    Distance: 211 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'715 m ·Papua New Guinea
  • Billy Mitchell
    Distance: 243 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 1'544 m ·Last eruption: 1580 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Bagana
    Distance: 244 km ·Lava cone ·Elevation: 1'855 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Ulawun
    Distance: 266 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'334 m ·Last eruption: 2025 ·Papua New Guinea

Comparison of seismic sources

4 sources currently report magnitudes from M5.5 to M6.0.

Measurements can differ because agencies use different networks and calculation methods. Values may be revised.

SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference
EMSCM6.0105.0 km9.6 km
USGSM5.5114.4 km0.0 km
INGVM5.5125.8 km4.7 km
RESIFM5.5128.5 km8.9 km

New Ireland

Context for this earthquake

05 Oct 2025 – 05 Oct 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 34 Catalogue entries

Sufficiently reliable matching data are not currently available for a direct comparison. The area profile shows the available records and their limitations.

Open seismic profile

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#14
Earlier events M≥4110
Earlier events M≥555
Compared since2025-01-12

The QuakeMap24 comparison dataset begins on 2024-03-23. Earlier earthquakes may not be included.

Strongest earlier events

M6.22025-04-12 03:47:13 UTC52.4 km M6.12025-09-16 16:59:52 UTC99.9 kmPapua New Guinea [Sea] M6.12025-04-12 03:47:09 UTC60.1 km105 km ESE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea M6.02025-09-16 16:59:51 UTC102.9 kmNEW IRELAND REGION, P.N.G. M6.02025-09-16 16:59:46 UTC96.4 kmNew Ireland Region, Papua New Guinea

Historic earthquake map · Papua New Guinea

Open history map
Explore recent and long-term earthquake activity in this country. Use filters to narrow down by magnitude, depth, and date range.

Country statistics · Papua New Guinea

Country overview
View earthquake KPIs, strongest and latest events, and averages for this country.

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